When the Kansas City Chiefs spent a fourth-round pick on Jalen Royals in the 2025 draft, fans were pretty excited. Here was a guy who had a third-round grade on him, yet K.C. managed to snag him late into round four. What a great value pick!
There were plenty of reasons to be excited about Royals too. Obviously the easy one is that he shares a name with the local MLB team in Kansas City so that right there made him a fan favorite from the start.
The main reason for excitement, however, was what a baller Royals was at Utah State. During his junior year in 2023, Royals hauled in 71 catches for 1,080 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Aggies. He missed time with injuries during his senior year so he only played in seven games but was still able to snag 55 receptions for 834 yards and six scores. Clearly, the talent is there with Royals.
Yet, when the Utah State product arrived in Kansas City, he was barely utilized during his rookie season. It was disappointing for sure, especially since fans had really hyped him up leading into the 2025 season. When the dust had settled, Royals had just two catches for four yards, and that all came in the final game of the season. Disappointing indeed.
Jalen Royals is finally showing the promise Kansas City drafted
The good news is that, as soon as the pads came on for training camp in St. Joseph, it was a whole new ballgame for Royals. He had a chance to wipe the slate clean from 2025 and turn his attention to seizing a new opportunity in 2026.
So far, things have been well for the fourth-rounder. He showed out big in the second preseason game, catching every ball thrown his way and leading the team in receiving. He finished the game against the Buccaneers with six receptions for 51 yards. Sure, it might be preseason, but isn't it better to see him performing well in these spots than the alternative option?
On top of the numbers Royals put up this past weekend in Tampa, he made it count whenever he had the ball in his hands. He dodged defenders and made sure they had a difficult time bringing him down and ending the play. That's what this Chiefs team needs more of if they want their offense to take the next step in 2026.
Royals has a clear path to a much bigger role in 2026
The fact of the matter is that it's now or never for Royals. If he doesn't step up and become a bigger piece of the offense this year for the Chiefs, then it's likely he never will. Andy Reid seems to believe that Royals is improving and can be a contributor for this team.
A few weeks ago, Reid said, "... [Royals is] getting better every day—faster, playing faster every day, which is important... He’s just gotta keep going, gotta stack the days, you know? It’s not what you did today. If you did well today, then you’ve gotta do well tomorrow. That’s the challenge."
This is what Royals needs to work on now. He now proved to himself and to Chiefs fans that he can be a reliable receiver in a game (even if it is preseason). Can he do it in the preseason finale? Can he do it during the regular season? Can he be a legitimate target for Patrick Mahomes?
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